My four favourite 1980s children’s TV programmes

Yesterday I found myself, as you do, thinking about Pigeon Street. In particular, ‘long distance Clara’. Now that was a female role model ahead of her time – on the road, driving her juggernaut, not a care in the world.

I’m not normally a YouTube kind of girl, but it was a quiet Sunday afternoon and I thought I would indulge myself in a little, and had a browse of some of my favourites. First up then, Pigeon Street:

Then off course you’ve got Dungeons and Dragons. There was something I particularly loved about this one, especially the opening credits. There was something every Narniaesque about it that really appealed – the idea that something quite normal could be a gateway to another world. There was something wonderfully sad as well about their constant struggle to find their way home.

One programme that made a big impression on me, but which no one else I spoke to remembered, was Tottie, The Story of a Doll’s House. Tottie was the very first programme aimed at children to contain a murder, and the episode where Birdie melts trying to save Apple in a fire deliberately started by the evil doll Marchpane pretty much scarred me for life.

This is the episode where Marchpane comes to live in the doll’s house. You can see what a meany she is.

Before watching the clip of the Doll’s House I couldn’t remember it at all, but after watching the clips it seemed so incredibly familiar that I must have watched it but probably banished it from my memory after the fire incident!
Its great seeing these clips & knowing I’m not on my own in remembering them all – hubby is 6 years older than me & has no recollection of any of these & best friend is 6 years younger so childhood programmes are agian complteley different.
I’m amazed they haven’t done a re-write on Dungeons & Dragons like they’ve done on Thundercats (so incredibly disappointed in the new version, Snarf talks & doesn’t ‘snarf’ as much as he should).
Others I absolutely loved were Jamie & his Magic Torch, Chorlton & the wheelies (with the ‘lickle old laydee’ witch) & the raggedy dolls.